Chapter 90
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: The Train Keeps Going (3)
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5.
The fourth day since Karron and Utulla had crossed the border.
You call this a country?
Of course! This is the Kingdom of Shion! A nation of humans!
Thats not what I meant, you idiot!
Hm, is that so?
Current record: 12 wins, 0 losses.
That record was the tally of victories Karron and Utulla had claimed against the bandits who had attacked them.
Karron let out a deep sigh as he looked down at the bandit collapsed before him, foaming at the mouth.
A bandit who had attacked with farm tools.
If they had been ordinary bandits, he would have cut their throats without a second thought, but the problem was that they were anything but.
Why the hell is a guy whos never even held a weapon properly playing bandit?
Karron grabbed the collar of the fainted bandit before him and lifted him up.
He slapped him lightly across the cheek, his hand imbued with mana.
The bandits body shuddered, and his eyes fluttered open. He immediately began to scream.
P-Please, spare me!
He had lost count of how many times this had happened.
Men who looked like theyd never killed a soul in their lives would charge at them, trembling, only to beg for their lives after a few blows.
I-I wasnt trying to kill you
I wasnt trying to kill you. I had no choice, I needed food. Right?
My children
My children are starving. Thats it, isnt it?
H-How did you?
Haaaaah.
Karron sighed and let go of the banditno, the farmerscollar.
He pulled a piece of jerky from his pouch, tossed it to the farmer, and said.
If I see you again, Ill kill you. Take this and get lost. Got it?
The man clutched the jerky in his hand, tears streaming down his face.
Thank you! Thank you so much!
Tucking the jerky into his clothes, the man fled without a backward glance.
Karron watched him go, letting out another heavy sigh.
He had heard stories about the situation in the southern kingdoms, but seeing it firsthand was far more severe.
The breadbasket regions they had passed through over the last four days were suffering from poor harvests, with farming all but abandoned. Not a single village was left unscathed.
With the young men conscripted, only the elderly, women, and children remained.
There had been many times when they had entered a village to find food, only to end up giving away their own.
Are you letting him live as well?
Utulla asked, arms crossed. Karron sighed and nodded.
What, should I kill him?
No. That would not be an honorable act.
They had been attacked twelve times already.
The problem was that every single one of them had charged with trembling hands.
The look in their eyesknowing they would die, yet charging forward out of desperation.
Karrons brow furrowed deeply at the memory of their gazes.
If they were scum like Leandro, at least I wouldnt feel a shred of guilt.
He had heard the rumors.
Those who could wield a weapon either became soldiers or bandits.
The long war had taken far too much from the people living here.
Karron bit his lip, recalling the words of his father, Peil.
A great warrior does not let his tribe starve. Without food, the tribe perishes. Therefore, battle can never take precedence over the tribe. If the tribe is gone, for whom do the warriors fight?
Utulla watched the attackers back recede into the distance.
There is no honor here. To die here is to die without honor.
Karron nodded in agreement.
Yeah, this is a land where even honor is dead. What a goddamn shithole.
Muttering a curse, Karron sheathed Guillotine.
At this pace, it would take another four days to reach the Kingdom of Keas.
It would be nice if they could use a horse or a carriage, but unfortunately, there was nowhere to rent one.
Shouldve borrowed a horse from Leven.
Utulla looked troubled at Karrons complaint.
There were no horses in Leven that could carry me, Karron.
You could have run. And besides, even if we had a horse, we probably wouldnt have found any hay for it.
A country pouring most of its national strength into maintaining its army.
As a result, its domestic affairs were in ruins, and its public security was a complete mess.
The problem was that the other kingdoms were in much the same state as Shion.
At this rate, it would take another half a month to reach their destination.
Of course, that was assuming there were no further incidents.
Now even finding food is a chore.
Karron checked the remaining rations in his pouch and grumbled in annoyance.
Well, sharing the food was your idea, Karron.
Itd help if you ate a little less.
My apologies.
I guess well just have to hunt along the way.
I, Utulla! The greatest hunter of my tribe. Leave the hunting to me.
Utulla said, thumping his chest, but Karron just shook his head.
If other areas were in a similar state, they might not even find any animals to hunt.
Lets go. We have a long way to go.
Agreed.
If you see any animals on the way, hunt them down. You know how to butcher, right?
I have even butchered an orc. Do not worry.
Why an orc Never mind. Forget it.
The two began to run south again.
It was an unpleasant and bitter journey.
6.
At the same time.
Near the Southern Great Forest, in the southeastern part of the Kingdom of Keas.
Rion! You said the Azure Sea Castle sent reinforcements, right?
A young man, covered head to toe in monster blood, was swinging his sword.
A dog-like monster charged toward him, and the young man mercilessly swung his thin blade, severing its head in a single strike.
Seriously, at this rate, how are we ever going to find the source and destroy it?
But the monsters kept coming, wave after wave.
He had no idea how many he had killed in this battle alone.
The blond young man, Leo Leston, let out a scream and raised his sword once more.
A moment later, a high-pitched voice echoed from a distance.
Youre about to become an adult, are you going to keep whining like that? Youre the same guy who wouldnt even talk back when you were with Karron!
Yeah, but when are the reinforcements actually going to get here?!
Thwack.
Leo shouted as he lopped off another monsters head.
Rion yelled back, her voice filled with irritation.
They said they sent them a few days ago! From the Azure Sea Castle to here huh? You think they can get here overnight?
Well both be dead before they arrive, Rion!
If youre going to keep crying, then just go ahead and die!
Rion let out a roar of her own as she dispatched the monsters.
The two of them fought nonstop for another thirty minutes, only able to rest after the last monster had been dealt with.
Haaaahk. Im really really going to die.
The ground was littered with monster carcasses, but Leo didnt care and collapsed onto the ground.
He had long since grown accustomed to the metallic stench of blood.
If time permitted, he could probably even sleep among the monster corpses.
Hey, drink some water.
Rion tossed a waterskin toward the sprawled-out Leo.
Lying on his back, Leo caught it, immediately uncapped it, and chugged the water down.
Gulp.
After emptying the waterskin in an instant, Leo let out a huge breath.
Haah, I feel alive again. Seriously I really thought I was going to die, Rion.
Its fine. It takes more than this to kill you.
Rion replied nonchalantly and sat down beside Leo.
Her long blonde hair was also stained with monster blood.
An ordinary person would have long since succumbed to the toxins in the monsters blood, but the two of them were unaffected.
The direct bloodline of the Leston Ducal Family possessed a natural resistance to black mana.
Want some jerky?
Yes.
Here.
A much-needed, blissful rest after the battle.
Leo chewed on the jerky Rion handed him and sighed.
It had already been a month since they had arrived here.
Their mission was to find and eliminate the source of the monsters, but the two of them alone weren't making much progress.
It was a hellish assignment where they spent most of their waking hours fighting monsters.
Leo glanced at Rion and asked.
Rion.
Yeah.
Any word on the size of the reinforcements?
I was only told they sent what was appropriate for the situation. They probably sent at least two squads, dont you think?
During the fight, I kept feeling like something was caught in my throat. Maybe Im not feeling well? I think Im getting the chills
At Leos words, Rion replied with an indifferent expression.
I told you, never let your mind wander during a fight, right? You do that, and a monster will rip your throat out. Im the only one here, so if you die, the best I can do is give you a shallow grave.
Its just a figure of speech. Sheesh.
Leo was starting to miss the Azure Sea Castle.
It had been two years since hed last set foot there.
He was so busy with nonstop missions that he rarely heard news from home.
The only contact he had was the occasional message to his parents.
Even that had become difficult since being dispatched to the southern kingdoms.
For some unknown reason, the communication devices werent working properly.
If this had been a solo mission, he probably would have gone mad by now.
As Leo was lost in thought, taking his rest, Rion slapped her knee.
Come to think of it, the time has come.
Huh? What time?
Its been four years.
What do you mean its suddenly been four years
Leo finally understood why he had been feeling so uneasy.
Karrons probation?
Yep. It should be over.
Wow.
Had it really been four years since the Mad Dog of the Azure Sea Castle was sealed away?
Leo shuddered as he thought of his younger cousin.
So thats why I was in such a bad mood.
Youre really scared of Karron. Hes a good kid. He always puts up with me, even when I annoy him.
Thats because youre not normal either ahem. Dont draw your sword. Anyway, you didnt grow up with Karron. Youd understand if you spent your childhood with that guy.
A being more terrifying than any monster he had ever faced.
That was Leos perception of Karron.
Monsters at least charged mindlessly, but Karron was completely unpredictable.
And those were always the scariest kind.
You dont think the Azure Sea Castle sent Karron, do you?
Rion said with a casual tone.
Leo waved his hands frantically.
No way, they wouldnt send a time bomb like him to the south, would they? That guy Karron could start a war all by himself!
The family elders must have had a general idea of what Karron was like.
The southern part of the continent was currently a powder keg waiting to explode.
What would happen if you poured the oil named Karron onto it?
That would be the day hell descended upon the mortal realm.
But Rion just shrugged.
When you think about it, theres no reinforcement more reliable than Karron, right? He can act alone, and his strength is undeniable.
But Karron hasnt had any real combat experience for four years He might have gotten weaker
Do you really think so?
No.
Just because time passes doesnt mean a monster stops being a monster.
It just becomes a more mature monster.
Still, they wouldnt send a bomb out into the world the moment his probation ends, would they?
The rule of thumb is to dispose of explosives as quickly as possible.
No way Seriously, no way
Leo quickly shut his mouth.
Words had a way of coming true, after all.
Unfortunately for him, those words had already taken root.
The finest bomb the Azure Sea Castle had to offer was already in transit.